Trompe L'oeil Decor in the Era of the Deepfake
Lemme hear ya say, TROMPE THERE IT IS!
We are living in the age of the untruth. It’s not so much “fake news” as it is a warping of reality we’ve never seen before.
To level with ya’ll: We’re standing on a precipice of everything becoming increasingly Baudrillardian as A.I. hurtles humanity through a philosophical mindfuck that’s almost too overwhelming to imagine. (For those of you who saw HBO’s Mountainhead: At times, I wondered if I was watching a documentary from the future. Because when you have a president who has the time to declare his pride for declaring Taylor Swift “no longer HOT,” anything is possible.)
But let’s take a moment to go back in time, to the true, original deepfake: trompe l’oeil.
Trompe l’oeil is French for “fool the eye,” and is an artistic tactic to render a two-dimensional surface as 3D-ish as possible. The earliest examples date back to Ancient Greece and Rome, but generally it refers to paintings like so:
In decor, trompe l’oeil produces a lot of ceramic centerpieces and dishes that look like fruits or vegetables. Which are fine, but many hit the mark of feeling kitsch without the irony=tacky.
Few do trompe well or with a true degree of cleverness. But when it’s good, it’s delightful. Here’s what we found on the internet this week. Read to the end for a BONUS fashion section!
1980s Cantaloupe Melon Dish Set
1930s Trompe L’oeil Upholstery Wallpaper
1990s Neiman Marcus Cake Serving Set
1970s Maria Pergay Style Italian Brass Magazine Rack
Emilio Martelli Table (still available!)
19th Century Italian Baroque Style Trompe L'oeil Cabinet
Mid-Century Cast Fiberglass Trompe L’oeil Faux Drape Coffee Table
1970s Maria Pergay Style Wood, Chrome & Brass Buckle Lamp
